The Snake Pit
by The Snake Pit
Summary: 1996. Nothing is as it should be. The 6th year Slytherins return to Hogwarts to hostile interHouse dynamics, retribution for the Inquisitorial Squad, as the Second War begins in earnest. Welcome to the Snake Pit. Somewhat AU.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** The Snake Pit is a collaborative fan fiction written between four writers by the way of a role-playing game. The story is told through linear prose-style (role-play logs), letters, journal entries, newspaper clippings, and other materials which develop the main characters, who are the Slytherins in Harry's 6th year. You can keep up with the individual journals through the LJ community ( linked in this account's profile page ) or read the events of their school year in the conventional fan fiction format here.

**

* * *

**

**Owl from Theodore Nott to Tracey Davis**

18-08-96

Dear Tracey.

Sorry I haven't written earlier like I said I would.

(_crossed out_)---I apologise for th---  
Things are going well. I hope you're keeping up fine.

That was all. Write me back if you care to.

-Theodore

* * *

**Owl from Tracey Davis to Theodore Nott**

20-08-96

Dear Theodore,

Thanks for writing me. I know summer can be either very busy or very  
dull. I hope yours has been busy with the right things, and dull when  
you need it to be.

- Tracey

* * *

**Owl from Theodore Nott to Tracey Davis**

21-08-96

Dear Tracey,

Things haven't been busy. They've not been dull. There is a lot of time to think, however.

Not too long now, until we go back to school.

-Theodore

* * *

**Owl from Tracey Davis to Theodore Nott**

22-08-96

Dear Theodore,

I hope this letter finds you well.

I've been having a quiet summer myself -- can't say if it's a good or a bad thing yet, but my solitaire skills have definitely improved.

I've been spending a lot of time around Diagon Alley, so you should if you find yourself around there, you may see me around. If not, then I'll see you at Kings' Cross.

I'm not sure if I'm looking forward to classes again or not, myself. Still, it's one year closer to being done and leaving Hogwarts completely, I suppose.

Take care.

- Tracey

* * *

**Owl from Theodore Nott to Tracey Davis**

22-08-96

Dear Tracey,

You should learn a different game. Something other than Solitaire.

Are you about Diagon often enough for me to run into you? Or would we have to arrange a specific date and time in order to run into each other?

I've nothing to do at the Manor but my brother has been rather strict about curfew things. Tell me when you have to go to Diagon and perhaps we can go to Florean's.

Personally, I am not looking forward to the school year.

-Theodore

* * *

**Owl from Tracey Davis to Theodore Nott**

22-08-96

Dear Theodore,

Maybe you (_crossed out_)---sh--- could teach me some different games, then.

I'm usually about on the weekends, but I've been known to go out on weekdays as well. Whatever's convenient for you, really.

I guess we'll see what happens.

- Tracey


	2. Chapter 2

**1 September, 1996**

Theodore stuffed his hands into the pockets of his robe and walked slowly down the length of the train. He was headed the front, where most of the older years tended to avoid. Theodore preferred it there, though. Less chances of seeing someone in his own year. He opened the door to an empty compartment and half-closed the door before settling in a seat by the window.

Tracey managed to get stuck right behind the sweets trolley as she walked down the aisle, stopping every minute at every compartment, scowling half-heartedly at some of the younger years.

Finally she squeezed past, but not before buying a few pumpkin pasties and a sack of peppermint beetles, and peered through glass doors until she found Theodore alone. "Ah hah!"

Millicent was wandering around the back of the train, looking for someone to join. She was hoping for Theodore, but he didn't seem to be anywhere in sight. She found Pansy, Daphne, and Heather, and in what might be termed desperation she stepped halfway through the door, giving them a weak smile. Of course, when their entire conversation ground to a halt, she didn't linger. Sighing, she headed towards the front of the train, still looking.

Theodore slowly turned his head away from the window. "Oh, Tracey." He said in a perfectly placid tone. "You startled me." He looked over Tracey once. "Are you going to come in?"

"If you don't mind," she said, her foot wedged in the door as both of her hands were full of sweets. "Take a pastie, won't you?" She held one hand out to him as she squeezed in through the sliding door.

Millicent neared the front of the train, her glances inside compartments growing shorter and shorter. She almost missed seeing Theodore, especially with Tracey partially in the way, but stopped to  
look again before continuing on.

"Oh, thank Merlin," she said, following Tracey inside. "Thought I'd have to sit through the ride with some second years or something equally miserable."

Theodore smirked. "Equally miserable," he said, pointing to Tracey and himself. He watched as the two girls settled into the compartment, idly tearing the pastie wrapper to shreds. "Fancy?" he offered the unwrapped pastie to Millicent without a look at Tracey.

Tracey set down the rest of the snacks on the bench across from Theodore, scooting closer to the window to allow Millicent space, even though she wasn't sure where the other girl would prefer to sit and wasn't going to ask, either. She sat and glanced out the window before turning back to look at them.

Millicent made a bit of a face. "No, thanks. Way too early for me." She hesitated for a moment before sitting next to Tracey. "So... how were your summers?"

Theodore bit into the pumpkin pastie and shrugged, looking at Millicent and then Tracey expectantly.

Tracey shrugged too, but a nice shrug, with a smile. "It was pretty quiet, mostly. Went to some shows, did a lot of reading, nothing really special. You?"

Millicent made a noncommittal noise and drew one leg up, putting her foot on the seat and leaning her chin on her knee. "Spent most of my time at home. I read a lot, too. Not a whole lot else to do." She now looked at Theodore purposefully, awaiting his own answer.

Theodore chewed slowly before swallowing the bite of pastie. He set the entire thing, shredded wrapper and all, down on the seat next to him before replying. "My summer was decent. Quiet, too." He sighed with a detached air before picking up the pastie again.

"Sorry I didn't owl you this summer, by the way," Theodore said to Millicent.

Tracey leaned back in her seat, opening her bag of peppermint beetles. She popped one into her mouth, mulling over that last sentence to herself as she looked out the window so as not to appear to be  
listening in.

Millicent blinked and glanced at Tracey for a moment, feeling suddenly vulnerable, even though there wasn't any way Tracey could know what she was thinking.

"It's okay," she said blankly. It was okay in that it was Theodore, and she would probably forgive him no matter what. But of course it had been painful not to receive any word from him for two months. After a few weeks of summer with no owl, she'd thought of perhaps contacting him first, but pride got in the way of that pretty quickly. Theodore was her friend, but if he wasn't going to owl her, she wasn't going to make him by making the initial effort.

She looked at the wall just over his shoulder when she spoke.

Theodore nibbled on the crust of the pastie thoughtfully. He looked at Tracey briefly before giving Millicent a small smile. "I've been really busy. Orthrus is taking care of everything with my father gone, and Laurence..." Theodore shrugged. "You know how Laurence is over the holidays."

Theodore's eyes wandered over to Tracey once more. "I didn't have a chance to owl anyone, really." He leaned back against the compartment wall and crossed his arms nonchalantly. "Wish you had owled me once though."

Tracey glanced over at Theodore, resting her elbow on the window sill and her chin on her hand, then glanced back out the window. She wasn't going to correct him.

_Shit._ Millicent grimaced internally, realising not owling Theodore was stupid. Especially with his dad in Azkaban... She'd been rather more interested in maintaining a sallow mood over the summer, though, as it kept her from getting too frustrated, somehow. "Sorry. I – was grounded," she lied. "For not being like Daphne, or something. You know my mum."

"Right," Theodore nodded. It seemed like a flimsy excuse. Millicent would have owled him even if she was under punishment. He didn't pursue it, though, especially since he was lying about not owling  
anyone.

Theodore decided to turn his focus on Tracey. "You're going to eat all of that?" he said somewhat condescendingly, as if Tracey was overweight and greedily working through a bag of fudge trolls.

"Stocking up," Tracey said mildly, looking up from the window. "And peppermint beetles last a long time. Besides, I bought them to share."

Millicent looked away. She was glad she'd found Theodore and Tracey, but on another level it might have been better to spend the ride zoning out in a compartment with obnoxious pre-teenagers. That wasn't an unfamiliar feeling -- Theodore usually made her simultaneously pleased and regretful, at least in the presence of other people.

After a moment she looked back at Tracey. "Make sure you hide them from Pansy, Daphne, and Heather. They might throw them out to get rid of the temptation."

"Ha ha," Theodore grinned.

Tracey broke into a smile. "Yeah, that's true. I didn't buy to share with _them_," she said.

"That's good. Not as if they need the extra excitement in their lives. I'm sure their summers were eventful enough." Millicent worked hard to keep any resentment out of her town, and almost succeeded. She wasn't jealous of the way Heather, Pansy, and Daphne were, exactly, just that  
they always seemed to get what they wanted.

"Well," Theodore said, crumpling the remains of the empty pastie wrapped in his hands, "Let's not spoil our train ride with talk of the Clackers. We'll have enough of them once we get to Hogwarts." Theodore reached over and grabbed a few peppermint beetles from Tracey's bag. He bit one in half and looked out the window.

Tracey snorted and nearly spat out her own beetle at that comment, then clapped her hand over her mouth and nose, trying to have some sort of ladylike... niceness. Instead she just gave Millicent a guiltily naughty look over her hand.

Millicent grinned slowly, amused as well. "Clackers?" she asked, glancing between Tracey and Theodore.

"Yes, you know," Theodore waved a hand vaguely in the air. "The sound of their little heels. Clack-clack-clack all over the damn dungeons." Theodore turned away from the window and looked at the two girls. He shook his head and let his lips curl into a semi-smirk. "Oh, like the two of you won't be using that term later."

"With all full credit to you, of course," Tracey said, composing herself a little more.

"Yes, of course." Millicent smirked back at Theodore. "Clever, that one. Why didn't you tell me about that earlier? Think of all the fun we could have had deriding them behind their backs."

"Millicent, Millicent," Theodore composed his face, though his lips threatened to curl up again. "I can't reveal my great wit to you all at once. I have to slowly phase it out, reveal it in parts. I wouldn't want to stun you, after all," he said.

"That's just too much wit," Tracey said, crossing her legs at the knee. "Dangerous amounts of it."

Millicent rolled her eyes, still smirking. "Please. As if you're really concerned about my well-being. Your wit can hardly do more harm than your cigarettes."

"Awful habit. I was hoping you'd quit over the holidays." Theodore addressed Millicent. He propped one of his legs up on the seat between the two girls and turned his body slightly so that he was facing Millicent and not Tracey.

Tracey uncrossed her legs, turning away again.

"Liar." Millicent shifted, putting her leg down just to bring her feet up and sit cross-legged on the seat. She was vaguely aware that they were shutting Tracey out a little, but Tracey didn't seem to mind -- at least, she wasn't speaking up, and right now Millicent had shifted from the depressing Theodore moods to the good ones, and she wasn't going to give those up so soon.

Theodore shrugged at Millicent's playful accusation. The train compartment shook a bit and he casually used the movement to take a look at Tracey. He felt slightly remorseful about the way he was treating her. But it wasn't as if Tracey was objecting, and he would most likely make up for this later.

Theodore bit another peppermint beetle in half. "Milli," he started, "Do you want to go for a fag before the feast?"

Tracey watched the scenery go by, stretching her legs a little before tucking them under herself.

Millicent smiled, genuinely this time. "Yeah. Bet we can sneak into the courtyard after the carriages take us up. And there's always a lag between when everyone goes into the Great Hall and when the speech begins."

"Alright." Theodore said before lapsing into silence. He looked over at Tracey under the pretense of looking out the window. He thought of something to say. "I wonder if the Squad is still going to be around. Probably not."

Tracey looked at him, then looked back out the window. She assumed he wasn't talking to her anyway, and so she didn't answer.

Millicent shrugged. "I doubt it. With Umbridge gone, there's nobody to direct it. Just as well... Draco was the only person in our year involved who I'd actually want to spend time with. It's just the 'Clackers' otherwise." She grinned a bit.

There was a slight delay in his response. "...And Goyle. I like Goyle. And Crabbe," Theodore said, his eyes still in the direction of the window. It was obvious that Theodore's attention had shifted from the conversation.

"Right," Theodore mumbled, turning his head to face Millicent, "We could well have a Ministry appointed Dark Arts professor though." He shrugged. "Not that it really matters."

"They're fine." Millicent shrugged. She frowned a little, noticing Theodore's shift. "We could. I don't know if they'd want the Squad still. Or if I'd join again." She hadn't known Theodore thought about it so negatively. "Do you think the Ministry has put in someone new again?"

"It's possible." Theodore said. "I was hoping you would have a better idea." He looked at Millicent, and then down at his left hand. He still had four peppermint beetles. Theodore sighed and then set them on the seat beside him, next to the pastie wrapper. "I haven't exactly been keeping up with the news."

"Me neither," Millicent admitted. "If they printed anything about it to begin with." She glanced at Tracey, suddenly feeling awkward at the conversation she and Theodore just had without her.

"Where do you live, Tracey?" she asked, looking for another topic.

Theodore opened his mouth to reply for Tracey, but then closed it.

Tracey looked up, a little startled. "Oh. I, ah. In London. You?"

"Staffordshire, in the middle of nowhere, mostly. I just realised I couldn't remember, is all." She paused. "Must make it easier to do things when you're bored over the hols, yes?"

"Probably," Theodore cut in. "More things to do in London than at our homes," he gave Millicent a smile. "What did you do to amuse yourself this summer?" Theodore asked Millicent.

Tracey pressed her lips together and crossed her arms, sitting back.

"Surely more." Millicent shrugged. "Read. Wander around. Learn and practice almost totally useless spells. Ministry doesn't register underage magic if I'm in or close to the house, since it's a Wizarding home. Also, finding ways out of going to events with Mum or meeting the people she thinks I should know. That's always a pretty creative process."

"Right," Theodore agreed. "There're only so many times you can break your ankle."

"Or any other body part. She tried to bring me along even when I told her my wrist was broken." Millicent rolled her eyes slightly. "But there are plenty of illnesses to fake, including invented ones. Not like Mum knows any better."

Theodore gave Millicent an indulgent smile.

Millicent blinked and smiled a bit back. "What about you? You must have had plenty of things going on if you couldn't owl."

Theodore reached for a peppermint beetle and popped one into his mouth. He rolled it over in his mouth slowly before answering. "Helping Orthrus with the expense accounts and the investments. Just that, but it was a good amount of things to look over."

"I can imagine." Millicent's father took care of all that, but of course Theodore's couldn't at the moment. She was entirely sympathetic to his situation, thinking of how awful it would be if Alexander Bulstrode were arrested. It wasn't even as if they were terribly close, but it would still be a mess and difficult to deal with. "Investments going well, though?"

"No clue." Theodore said, his voice slightly more cheerful. "I assume Orthrus knows what he's doing, because I don't." He shrugged. "It doesn't matter." Theodore opened his mouth to change the subject but he couldn't think of a single conversation topic. He closed his mouth.

"No, it doesn't, really," Millicent agreed.


	3. Chapter 3

**1 September, 1996**

Draco was ignoring Crabbe and Goyle, his feet propped up on the seat across the compartment from him, reading a black leather bound book with red sealing wax stamped across the spine, obscuring the title and author. His face was pulled into a studious frown. Crabbe and Goyle, having no desire to bother him during his studying, shrugged at each other.

Pansy flung open the compartment door and craned her neck forward in a mechanical manner that implied that she had been opening-and-peering-in-compartments for some time now. She pulled her head back out, ready to open another compartment before her eyes focused on Draco's feet. Pansy's lips curved into a smile. "Draco!" She said loudly, shutting the compartment door behind her.

Draco shut his eyes so she wouldn't see him rolling them, then looked up at her over his book. "Hullo, Pansy," he said, sitting up properly, using his thumb to hold his place in his book. "How was your summer?"

"It was... good." Pansy kept her hands on the door, smiling at Draco in a flirtatiously shy manner and shifting slightly so that her skirt swished from side to side. "I was hoping you would answer my owl before the train, so that we could sit together."

"Things've been busy for me," he said, his words clipped.

"You could still have owled," Pansy said in a slightly petulant tone. She let go of the door and sat close to Draco, taking care to cross her legs and then demurely smooth her skirt. Pansy nudged Draco with her shoulder and then leaned on him to look at his book. "What is that?"

Draco snapped it shut with one hand. "It's a book I've been reading," he replied, setting it down beside him, away from Pansy.

Pansy nudged him again, but didn't pull away this time. She stayed pressed to his side. "I want to know what you're reading," she said.

"It's a book," he said again. "It doesn't even have pictures in it."

"So?" She shrugged. "You don't know that I won't like it. Maybe I will. I want to know." Pansy's lower lip protruded slightly and she nudged him again.

Draco shrugged as well, trying to scoot away from her a little. "You wouldn't like it. Maybe I'll lend it to you after I'm done." _If I don't eat it first_, he thought to himself.

"I suppose that's acceptable," Pansy smiled. "_So_, did you miss me?" She snaked her arm around his, resting her head against his biceps. She looked up at him in what she thought a flattering angle.

"Oh yes," he said, with a quick glance to the window. "Did you miss me?" As if he had to ask.

"Of co-urse," she drew out the word and shifted, to smush her body even closer against Draco's. Pansy's hand squeezed Draco's arm as she talked. "I had the most wonderful time in Paris, though I wish that you could have come. I know you were busy but you could have spared  
some time to see me."

"My mother needed me," he said, his words clipped.

"But I need you too."

Draco very slowly turned to look at her, looking her directly in the eye, saying nothing.

Pansy's pout disappeared quickly when she met Draco's eyes. "Well... obviously not as much as your mother needed you, of course," she said quickly. "I was merely saying that I would have liked some time to spend with you this summer." Pansy words came out very rushed. "I know you were terribly busy but... but..."

She stopped and flashed Draco a hesitant smile.

Draco turned his face away from her again, still saying nothing.

"Well... I... missed you," Pansy said lamely. She turned her head away from him and exhaled quietly in frustration.

Draco reached and patted her gently on the hand. "I know. It's just been... difficult lately."

Pansy leaned her head against Draco's arm again. "You can talk to me," she said somewhat vehemently. "You could talk to me. About anything." She rubbed his arm.

Draco shrugged, not caring that he was jostling her with his arm. "I know that." But would he want to was the question.

Her head knocked abruptly against the back of the train compartment as he shrugged. Pansy withdrew her arm from the crook of Draco's arm and touched the back of her head. "That hurt," she snapped, momentarily lapsing into her usual commanding tone.

"Sorry," he said without meaning it, and brushed his hand over the back of her head.

Her face softened into a simpering smile. "It's fine." She took his arm and slung it over her shoulder, wrapping both of her arms around him and burrowing into his robes.

Draco patted her back awkwardly, shooting a glare at Crabbe and Goyle, who shrugged again and pretended not to see anything.

"So tell me about summer," Pansy continued. "You can tell me now, right?"

"I was busy with household things," he said. "Helping my mother."

Pansy rolled her eyes. "Planning parties? Can't your mother do that on her own?"

"No," he said, getting that irritated tone in his voice again, "not planning parties. There haven't _been_ any parties this summer."

"There have _too_ been parties," Pansy shot back. "Not all of Europe is as glum as England."

"There haven't been any parties in _my_ house," Draco replied. "Not everyone is _home_."

Pansy closed her mouth, though she wanted to say that the least his mother could do was keep up appearances. "I'm sorry," she said in a soft voice.

"There are more important things in the world than _parties_," he said, practically spitting the word out.

"Yes, Draco. I realise." Pansy tilted her head away from his eyes. "I'm sorry, I misspoke." She stiffened slightly, pulling herself a little more upright though her arms still remained locked tight around Draco's torso.

Draco sighed, relaxing his shoulders a little. "You didn't mean it," he said. "It's just not all that important to you after all, is it."

"If it matters to you, then obviously it matters to me," Pansy said obtusely, "But I just don't think that things should have to change dramatically because of..." she paused. "Appearances," she continued, "We should at least keep up appearances. Your father would agree."

"_What _appearances? That everything's _fine_? Nothing's bloody _fine_, and anyone who's read the bloody _papers _knows that. But I suppose you _don't _read them."

Pansy exhaled. "I... I'm sorry. I'm sorry." She looked up into Draco's eyes and pouted. "I didn't mean it like that?"

Draco sighed too, frustrated at her for being so stupid, and at himself for getting so worked up, especially in front of Crabbe and Goyle. "I know you didn't. You just don't _think_ very much sometimes."

She resented him for that statement, and she frowned for a fraction of a second. "I know," she said, drawing out the word. "And I'm sorry, so don't be mad at me." Pansy's lower lip protruded so much that it threatened to take over her entire face.

Draco bent and kissed her lightly on her hairline. "I'm sorry."

"Mm..." Pansy made a contented noise, relaxing and resuming her former position. Her right arm was numb from the awkward angle but she held it there, still holding on mercilessly to Draco.

Draco sat up straight. "I'll come find you when we're back at Hogwarts," he said. "But I have to finish my reading before we get there."

Pansy didn't pull away. "You can read, I don't mind. You don't have to talk to me."

Draco patted her knee. "I can't read with you looking over my shoulder. I'll come find you when we get to Hogwarts."

Pansy thought over it. "Very well," she said brightly. "I have to go find Heather anyway. Daphne and I spent nearly all of the summer together but Heather lives so far away, and it's _such_ a hassle to have  
her over constantly. We have to catch up on things." Pansy pulled away from Draco reluctantly, trying to ignore the pins and needles in her right arm.

"I missed you," she murmured. Pansy's eyes flickered once to Crabbe and Goyle, and then she braved a kiss on Draco's cheek, quickly before he could object.

Draco gave her a little wave as she stood up. "I'll see you there," he said.


	4. Chapter 4

**If found please return to:**

**Theodore A. Nott**

**c/o Professor Snape**

**Slytherin House**

**Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry**

**2 September, 1996**

**11:58 pm**

Isn't the word 'disclaimer' funny?

Dis Claim

to contradict... before you make a statement (?)

Un(_scratched out_)--iversality--


	5. Chapter 5

**If found please return to:**

**Tracey H. Davis**

**c/o Professor Snape**

**Slytherin House**

**Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry**

**5 September, 1996**

**8:40 pm**

To-Do:

-speak to Prf. Snape and/or Sprout regarding Hagedorn's Growing a Potions Garden

-speak to Longbottom regarding the same

-work on DADA essay (already!)

-check out books from library on recommendations from S. and S.

-owl away for RCWH tickets for winter hols (ask T. if he wants to go?)

-owl mum for seed catalogue(s)

-practise Charms

-listen to Harpies match on WWN

-read a novel for once!


	6. Chapter 6

**9 September, 1996**

Tracey sat with a potted plant before her, her notebook opened. She dipped her quill into the ink, holding a leaf in her hand as she began to sketch.

Theodore walked over to her quietly, careful not to make a sound. He stood over Tracey wordlessly before plucking the leaf from her hands. "It looks like a plant," Theodore said, his voice uncharacteristically loud.

Tracey looked up at him with the same look she'd give her older brother if he did that to her, sighed, and went back to her sketch.

He folded the leaf in half and held it between his teeth, watching Tracey for a few seconds. Theodore pulled up a chair next to her. "What is it?" he mumbled, the leaf still in his mouth.

She shook her head, not looking at him.

He frowned slightly at her lack of response. Oh well. It wasn't entirely unexpected. Theodore pulled the leaf out and pretended to observe it. "What is it?" He asked again, keeping his tone of voice bored.

"Nothing," she said, looking at her plant, then back at her sketchbook. "I'm working."

"You're always working."

"Maybe you should try it."

"No need for both of us to waste our time on Herbology." Theodore frowned slightly. "Tracey."

"I'm not wasting my time with Herbology," she said.

"Tracey."

"I don't want to hear it," Tracey said.

Theodore pursed his lips, a little taken aback. He fell quiet before trying again. "But you don't know what I'm going to say."

"I don't _care_ what you're going to say," she replied.

"Why not?"

"Because I don't."

"Why not?"

Tracey put her head down on the table, avoiding putting it on her book or in her ink.

"The beached whale imitation is a bit inappropriate, given the current circumstances," Theodore said. "But I suppose it's still funny."

Tracey peered up at him and gave him a scowl.

"You should talk to me," Theodore continued, ignoring her scowl. He plucked another leaf from her plant. "Or else my boredom may drive me to completely denude this thing."

"Leave the plant out of this," she said. "And I've got nothing to say to you."

"Why not?"

Tracey just turned back to her plant, scooting it away from him.

"Tracey," he said in a low voice. He scooted the plant toward him and picked another leaf off of it. "Don't be like this."

"Don't be like what? I'm staying out of your way and minding my own business, aren't I? I know my _place_."

"What do you mean?" Theodore muttered, rolling his eyes. He knew perfectly why she was angry, of course.

"Forget it. Sorry for being in your way." Tracey got up, closing her book and putting the lid back on her ink, scooping up her plant.

"Stay," Theodore said, standing up and grabbing Tracey's arm. He tried to meet her eyes.

Tracey met his eyes before quickly looking away.

"Tracey," he tugged on her arm. "Just stay."

She shook her head, but made no movement to leave.

"Are you mad at me?"

Tracey gave him a look that she must have learned from Draco Malfoy.

"Are you going to answer me?" He pressed, unfazed by her look.

"What do you think?" she replied.

"I would still like a verbal answer."

Tracey sighed._ Boys_. _Honestly_. "Yes."

"Will you stay?" Theodore let go of Tracey's arm and sat down.

"Why should I?"

"Because I would like to talk to you."

"There's nothing to talk about."

"Of course there is," Theodore said. "We could talk about this plant, for example. You never answered my question--sit down-- What is it?"

"Lamb's ear," she sighed. "That's why it's fuzzy."

"It also tastes funny, not at all like veal." Theodore pressed his index finger into the folded leaf on the table. "Are you going to sit down?" he asked her, keeping his eyes on the leaf.

Tracey sat down reluctantly.

"Do you..." Theodore trailed off. "Do you..."

He sighed. "Do you want anything to eat?"

Tracey shook her head.

He nodded awkwardly. "I thought not." Theodore pressed his finger into another spot of the leaf, not looking up.

Tracey opened up her notebook, putting it back on the table.

Theodore turned his head to look at the blond girl. "Is this for homework?"

"No," she said. "Personal project."

"That's fun."

"Anything _you_ have to say?" she asked.

'I'm sorry' would have been the smart thing to say. But Theodore wasn't one to apologise. He shrugged instead. "Nothing."

"That's what I thought," she said, turning back to her plant.

"Still mad at me?"

"You haven't given me any reason to be otherwise."

"I'm not tearing up your lamb's ear," he offered.

Tracey opened up her jar of ink. "Oh _thank_ you," she said.

"Sure," he said, glossing over her sarcasm. "I didn't see you at dinner," Theodore said, idly picking at the smushed, and now rather pathetic-looking, leaf on the table in front of him.

Tracey shrugged. "Didn't know you were looking."

"I was." Theodore scratched the back of his neck. It was strange to have Tracey this hostile.

"Not like you would have said anything to me anyway, right?"

"I'm talking to you now, aren't I?"

"No one else is here."

"So?"

Tracey sighed. "So I'm going to go work on this in my room, if you don't have anything to say to me that you wouldn't say to me in front of other people."

Theodore sighed. "Do you want me to apologise for the train ride? Because I am. This is me apologising."

Tracey looked up at him, narrowing her eyes, scrutinizing him to see if he was being honest or just trying to get on her good side again.

"It's not what you think, anyhow," Theodore said, leaning back in his chair. "I saw you at Diagon. I hadn't seen Millicent in months,"

Tracey frowns; it's true, but it still stings.

He shrugged. "I just wanted to talk to Millicent. I didn't mean to push you out of the conversation like that, but it happened." Theodore met Tracey's eyes. "Honest."

"Still," Tracey said.

Theodore shrugged again at that.

"Still," she said again, her voice soft and low, "if you consider me to be anything resembling a friend... you shouldn't treat me like that."

"But I do." Theodore hastily added, "I do think of you as a friend."

"Then treat me like one."

He stared at her in silence. Theodore turned his head back to the leaf and smushed it into the table with his thumb. "Alright."

"All right?" she said, asking for confirmation.

"Yeah."

Tracey sighed, but not in relief. "All right."


End file.
